Retail Industry Insights

By partnering with grocery managers, ShopRite’s Health and Wellness team, which includes over 100 in-store and corporate dietitians servicing over 140 ShopRite stores across the Northeast, has created a food-focused communication strategy called Well Everyday that inspires customers to eat well while helping them to think differently about wellness. Stephanie Perez, MPH, RD, Retail Dietitian Supervisor and Allison Ryder, Health & Wellness Project Manager for Wakefern Food Corporation, share information on how this program is meeting consumer needs and driving sales.

Today’s shoppers are more health-minded than ever and seek foods and beverages that support their well-being. As a result, probiotics are no longer reserved for those with gut issues or as a way to maintain regularity.

Les Dames d’Escoffier is an international philanthropic organization of women leaders in the fields of food, beverage and hospitality.  While nutrition enters their discussions, the group’s primary focus is on the multifaceted foodscape.  Their annual trend report provides an array of learnings with application to retail health and wellness as detailed here.

Although the supermarket is full of healthier food choices, fresh departments are especially well positioned to provide the food selections, education and guidance consumers desire and the expertise of the Retail Dietitian must be an integral part of programming. FMI recently released their report “Best Practices and Excellence in Fresh Department Health & Wellness Programming” to provide retailers insights for implementing and executing profitable programs that meet consumer needs and features exemplary examples of initiatives at retail.

A research paper published by Nielsen in August 2016 found that 64% of the world’s population are on some form of exclusion diet. Whether a consumer changes their food habits for ethical, medical, lifestyle, or religious reasons, finding suitable food still becomes an enormous struggle. It is often immediately more expensive, and reading product labels can be time consuming and confusing. 

People are passionate about their favorite treats and have an emotional connection to them. That being said, the negative publicity surrounding sugar is making consumers think twice about their sweet consumption. The International Food Information Council Foundation (IFIC) 2018 Food & Health Survey indicates that over half of respondents state they are eliminating candy to decrease sugar consumption. In addition, food activists are pressuring confectionary sales at check out. Considering these evolving factors and the growth of health and wellness at retail, the NCA launched their Always a Treat Initiative to assist supermarkets and consumers with balanced solutions.

Produce is a key basket builder for supermarkets. As the Food Marketing Institute’s Power of Produce 2017 reports, when a shopper has produce in the basket, the result is an average ring that’s 44% higher. In our second article looking at this report, we’ll review the additional top five findings and discuss how retail dietitians can use the information to assist their retailer with driving sales and traffic in this profit leading department.

National Burger Month (May) is just around the corner! It’s the start of cookout season and a great time to show your customers how to hack the classic hamburger for a burger that is not only more nutritious, but also more delicious and sustainable.

According to IRI data, produce at retail is a large, profitable and growing category that represents over 33% of fresh sales. Given these stats and the growing consumer interest in holistic health, produce has the power to drive increase sales and customer loyalty for supermarkets.

To properly respond to consumer inquires and instill trust in meat case purchases, supermarket health influencers need to understand the programs farmers are adopting to ensure nutritious, safe food, along with the best possible care for their animals and the land. Focus meat case messaging to highlight positive industry practices while helping shoppers have a better cooking and eating experience: